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lifeasjanedoe 's review for:
Collide
by Gail McHugh
I really hate to limit my rating to three stars because I did enjoy reading this book. In fact, I stayed up well past my bedtime for two nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. Despite my clear interest in the storyline, there were little things about Collide that really bothered me. In fact, there were so many that I can't justify rating this book anything higher than a three.
1. Ihate loathe the third person narrative. I know, it's the most commonly used narrative in fiction. HOWEVER . . . this isn't true for the majority of books I enjoy reading. I think authors tend to lean on the third person POV because it's the easiest to write. It's also lazy. The author inevitably starts to slip in and out of the minds of the characters without any indication that he/she has done so, which is confusing and diffuses the natural flow of the story. I can't tell you how many times I had to go back and reread pages or paragraphs for this very reason. It's a waste of my time.
2.
The characters are not the least bit likable (with the exception of Gavin, of course).
Emily (the protagonist) is the total opposite of a strong and independent woman. In contrast, she's the most fragile woman that ever lived. She weeps, in shocks and gasps, throughout the entirety of the book, and her boyfriend is a textbook sociopath.
I wanted to rip my hair out every time Emily justified the actions of her sorry excuse of a boyfriend. He physically and mentally abuses her on the daily, and she doesn't want to leave him. Even though she's got "Mr. Millionaire Hottie with a Body" begging her to leave him and whispering things like "If I could, I'd rip my heart out to show you how much I love you" into her ear.
3. It's unnecessarily long and drawn out.
4. Last, but certainly not least, just look at these lines:
He felt drawn to her. (Chpt 1)
Emily's eyes were magnetically drawn to Gavin. (Chpt 8)
She also felt unmistakably drawn to him. (Chpt 9)
In that moment, she felt drawn to him. (Chpt 16)
His eyes locked onto Emily. (Chpt 1)
When he pulled back, their gazes met and locked. (Chpt 2)
She felt inordinately overwhelmed when their eyes met and locked. (Chpt 2)
Emily scanned the crowd and locked eyes with Gavin. (Chpt 6)
His eyes met and locked with hers. (Chpt 6)
Her emerald-green eyes locked on to beautiful baby blues. (Chpt 7)
His eyes locked on Emily's. (Chpt 10)
As he placed her on her feet, their eyes locked. (Chpt 10)
Eyes still locked on hers, he gathered her hair. (Chpt 11)
She felt oddly alone until her eyes locked onto Gavin's. (Chpt 13)
Emily's gaze locked onto Gavin's. (Chpt 13)
Her beautiful emerald eyes locked onto his icy blue ones. (Chpt 15)
Her breath caught when Gavin's brilliant blue eyes locked on hers. (Chpt 18)
Her eyes locked on his. (Chpt 19)
Their eyes never unlocked. (Chpt 19)
Her eyes locked on Gavin. (Chpt 19)
Those came straight from the book.
NEED I SAY MORE?
1. I
2.
The characters are not the least bit likable (with the exception of Gavin, of course).
Emily (the protagonist) is the total opposite of a strong and independent woman. In contrast, she's the most fragile woman that ever lived. She weeps, in shocks and gasps, throughout the entirety of the book, and her boyfriend is a textbook sociopath.
I wanted to rip my hair out every time Emily justified the actions of her sorry excuse of a boyfriend. He physically and mentally abuses her on the daily, and she doesn't want to leave him. Even though she's got "Mr. Millionaire Hottie with a Body" begging her to leave him and whispering things like "If I could, I'd rip my heart out to show you how much I love you" into her ear.
3. It's unnecessarily long and drawn out.
4. Last, but certainly not least, just look at these lines:
He felt drawn to her. (Chpt 1)
Emily's eyes were magnetically drawn to Gavin. (Chpt 8)
She also felt unmistakably drawn to him. (Chpt 9)
In that moment, she felt drawn to him. (Chpt 16)
His eyes locked onto Emily. (Chpt 1)
When he pulled back, their gazes met and locked. (Chpt 2)
She felt inordinately overwhelmed when their eyes met and locked. (Chpt 2)
Emily scanned the crowd and locked eyes with Gavin. (Chpt 6)
His eyes met and locked with hers. (Chpt 6)
Her emerald-green eyes locked on to beautiful baby blues. (Chpt 7)
His eyes locked on Emily's. (Chpt 10)
As he placed her on her feet, their eyes locked. (Chpt 10)
Eyes still locked on hers, he gathered her hair. (Chpt 11)
She felt oddly alone until her eyes locked onto Gavin's. (Chpt 13)
Emily's gaze locked onto Gavin's. (Chpt 13)
Her beautiful emerald eyes locked onto his icy blue ones. (Chpt 15)
Her breath caught when Gavin's brilliant blue eyes locked on hers. (Chpt 18)
Her eyes locked on his. (Chpt 19)
Their eyes never unlocked. (Chpt 19)
Her eyes locked on Gavin. (Chpt 19)
Those came straight from the book.
NEED I SAY MORE?